HalcyonDays
New Member
Hi.
This is my first posting on this forum and wondered if anyone could help me with a few questions?
I once tried to set up a small Marine aquarium in my early teens, bought all the bits and pieces - and then bottled out going through with it. Twenty years later I've finally bought another set up for me and my young son - this time it's a small (10 gallon) Tropical tank.
The tank is currently going through a fishless cycle and I am on day 12. I started testing the water parameters on day 9. I have tried to do everything by the instruction manual included with the tank, with reference to various books and this Forum. I do not intend putting fish in the aquarium until the parameters are exactly as they should be.
I'm fairly happy with the way things have gone so far and have enjoyed the settting up prcoess etc, but am stumped by a few things:
1. The testings I done for PH on days 9 and 11 (the only days I've tested) appeared to show a value of '9'. Straight from the tap it appears to show a value of '8.5'. I am worried about this because this is so high and I've already entered the realm of looking at postings on Bottled Water and why it isn't a good idea to use 'PH down' etc.
2. It is probably me. But I have found my Interpet test kits more difficult to read than I imagined they would be - and my eyesight is good. Also, everything I've read has referenced 'PPM', but these test kits use mg/L and that has thrown me a bit too.
3. Everything in the tank is new and yet it looks like I might have Red/Brush algae? In one corner of the tank a patch of gravel has turned a rusty red under the filter inlet and when disturbed red strands float up about 4mm in length. On a nearby rock there are longer red strands (about 10mm) that are not easily removed.
I can't understand how this has happened though if it is Red algae. The tank, filter, heater and an airstone were out the box new. I have three artificial plants (silk, not plastic) that were out the packet. One small piece of rock from my LFS which I rinsed before adding, one small piece of driftwood, which I soaked for 24 hours before adding and one small piece of Mopani wood added on day 4 (which was plastic wrapped) which I did not bother soaking on advice from my LFS. This however has leeched tannins relentlessly and I have thus carried out three 60% water changes since. I inspected the filter last night and the insides of it were coated in rusty red slime.
I would like to keep a small group of pymgy cory along with a couple of other fish. I've waited 21 years for some fish and hope I can finally purchase some very soon. I would be really grateful for any help/advice - especially on the high PH and this 'red stuff'...
Mark.
This is my first posting on this forum and wondered if anyone could help me with a few questions?
I once tried to set up a small Marine aquarium in my early teens, bought all the bits and pieces - and then bottled out going through with it. Twenty years later I've finally bought another set up for me and my young son - this time it's a small (10 gallon) Tropical tank.
The tank is currently going through a fishless cycle and I am on day 12. I started testing the water parameters on day 9. I have tried to do everything by the instruction manual included with the tank, with reference to various books and this Forum. I do not intend putting fish in the aquarium until the parameters are exactly as they should be.
I'm fairly happy with the way things have gone so far and have enjoyed the settting up prcoess etc, but am stumped by a few things:
1. The testings I done for PH on days 9 and 11 (the only days I've tested) appeared to show a value of '9'. Straight from the tap it appears to show a value of '8.5'. I am worried about this because this is so high and I've already entered the realm of looking at postings on Bottled Water and why it isn't a good idea to use 'PH down' etc.
2. It is probably me. But I have found my Interpet test kits more difficult to read than I imagined they would be - and my eyesight is good. Also, everything I've read has referenced 'PPM', but these test kits use mg/L and that has thrown me a bit too.
3. Everything in the tank is new and yet it looks like I might have Red/Brush algae? In one corner of the tank a patch of gravel has turned a rusty red under the filter inlet and when disturbed red strands float up about 4mm in length. On a nearby rock there are longer red strands (about 10mm) that are not easily removed.
I can't understand how this has happened though if it is Red algae. The tank, filter, heater and an airstone were out the box new. I have three artificial plants (silk, not plastic) that were out the packet. One small piece of rock from my LFS which I rinsed before adding, one small piece of driftwood, which I soaked for 24 hours before adding and one small piece of Mopani wood added on day 4 (which was plastic wrapped) which I did not bother soaking on advice from my LFS. This however has leeched tannins relentlessly and I have thus carried out three 60% water changes since. I inspected the filter last night and the insides of it were coated in rusty red slime.
I would like to keep a small group of pymgy cory along with a couple of other fish. I've waited 21 years for some fish and hope I can finally purchase some very soon. I would be really grateful for any help/advice - especially on the high PH and this 'red stuff'...
Mark.
